Knitting machine



Feb, 10, 1953 P. w. BRlsTow KNITTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheetl l Original Filed Dec. 30, 1948 INVNTOR; PAUL W. BRSTOW BY S Y E N R. 0 T T A Feb. 10, 1953 P, w BRlsTOW 2,627,740

' KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 30, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. PAUL W. BR/S TOW ORNEYS.

Feb. 10, 1953 P. w. BRIS-row 2,627,740

KNITTING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 30, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 q cgtflQ- L l 5r Qt INVENTOR. PAUL W 'BR/STOW nur@ ATTORNEYS.

the upper cylinder.

Patented Feb. 10, `195.3

UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE KNITTING MACHINE Paul W. Bristow, Laconia, N. H., assigner to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, Laconia, N. H., a corporation of Massachusetts Original application December 30, 1948, Serial Divided and this application .lune

17, 1950, Serial No. 168,813

(Cl. (i6-165) Claims.

This invention relates to a knitting machine and has particular reference to a circular knitting machine of the superposed cylinder type.

This application is a division of my application Serial Number 68,114, led December 30, 1948.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved slider control stop motion which will eifect stoppage of the machine in the event that needle controlling sliders accidentally assume improper positions.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention particularly relating to details of construction and operation will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical axial section through the needle cylinders and the associated wrap yarn presenting mechanism of a knitting machine embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view showing various devices in the machine particularly the mounting of wrapping abutments, an arrangement for needle leveling and a slider controlled stop motion; and

Figure 3 is an inside development of various cams for control of rotating parts of the machine, certain of these parts being indicated in construction lines.

The knitting machine embodying the invention indicated above is of the superposed cylinder type comprising a lower cylinder 2 and an upper cylinder 3. Arranged to slide in slots in the lower cylinder are sliders 4 adapted to engage the lower hooks of double hook latch neeo dles 6, the upper hooks of which are engageable by sliders 8 in the upper cylinder.

The lower sliders 4 are provided with butts at two levels I0 and I2. The upper sliders 8 are provided with butts at two levels I6 and I3. The cylinders are preferably provided with inserted Xed walls to define the slots for reception of the sliders and these walls '20 in the case of the upper cylinder terminate substantially above its lower end so that the lower portions of the slider slots are bounded not by stationary walls but by movable walls of two alternative forms arranged to slide in the wall slots in One set of these indicated at 22 carry butts 26 and are provided with outwardly and downwardly sloping lower ends as indicated most clearly at 30 in Figure 3. The other slidable walls indicated at 24 are provided with butts 28 and have verge bit extensions such as indicated at 32 in Figure 3. The verge bits are located between the positions of needles which, in the formation of broad ribs, are carried by sliders in the upper cylinder.

The cylinders are rotated and reciprocated in unison through the medium of a vertical shaft 34 which through conventional gearing is driven by the lower cylinder and which through gearing indicated at 4i) and 42 drives the upper cylinder. The present machine additionally vinvolves the driving of a wrapping assembly, which action is effected through gears 44 and 46, the former being carried by the shaft 34.

Arranged to cooperate with the needles are arcuate sinkers 48 which are provided with butts 50 arranged to be acted upon by stationary cams 52 supported by a stationary cylinder 54 inside the lower rotating cylinder. vThis stationary cylinder 54 also supports the fabric guiding tube 55 provided with an extension 51.

The rotary support for the wrap yarn carrying means is indicated generally at 53. It is secured to the gear 4t and includes a member provided with an annular groove Bil in which groove are received the rounded pivot-forming `projections 6'2 of wrap yarn carriers 64 surrounded by spring bands 6% and B2. Dummy spacers are provided in locations where wrap fingers are entirely missing so as to maintain proper tension conditions of the spring bands. Each of the wrap yarn carriers t4 has an upper extension 68 received in a notch 16J) in an individual jack 12. These jacks 12 are provided with slots arranged so that they may embrace an annular ring 14 carried by the support 58. In order to guide the jacks 12 for radial movement and to position them in xed circumferential locations they are received in slots 15 in the support 53. Each of the jacks is provided with a plurality of butts 13. These butts may be selectively broken away so as to provide selection in the operation of the wrap yarn carriers.

Each of the wrap yarn carriers 64 is provided with a downward extension extending through the upper cylinder and guided at its upper vend 3 in a radial slot 80 in the support 58. The lower spring band 82 serves to urge the lower ends of the wrap yarn carriers inwardly. Butts 84 are provided on the wrap yarn carriers to provide for the positive inward movements of their lower` ends and for the arrest of the outward movements of their lower ends.

At its lower end ea-ch wrap yarn carrier is provided with `a radially directed extension 86 which has a downwardly extending branch 8l provided with the yarn ,guide openings 88. The downw-ardly extending branches `81 are provided with smooth lower inner edge portions arranged to cam the wrap yarn downwardly as the Wrap yarn finger or carrier is withdrawn inwardly following a wrapping movement. Beyond these openings each carrier is provided with an abutment-engaging eXtensi-on 90.

The foregoing describes in a general lway the stitch forming elements which are present in the machine to which specically the present invention is applied. Other details of general construction and operation may be found by reference to the parent application mentioned above.

Figure 2 illustrates the devices constituting a slidercontrolled stop motion. A member 55B carries a 'detector A552 in the `form of a small, fiat plate having a projection which on one side provides an abrupt shoulder '55d and on the other .side a sloping cam edge 556, This detector projection has .the position illustrated in the cam development Figure 3. It is located just above the level of the tops Vof sliders which are moving .at welt level and circumferentially is located directly :above the lower end o1" the run-down stitch cam. Itis accordingly in position to be engaged and moved toward the left in Figure 2 by any slider .which has not been pulled to welt level or below in a run-down direction. The member 55d is provided with a slot 5.58 which embraces a pin provided with a shouldered spacer 560 to hold the detector at the proper level. A notch'562 normally embraces a pin provided with a spacer 566. A rod 56B islinked to the left hand end of the member 55) as viewed in Figure 2 and is guided ina bracket 510, a compression spring 5&8 reacting between this bracket 510 and a shoulder on the rod 566. The arrangement is such vas to hold the member 550 in a clockwise position lmited by engagement of the trough of thenotch 562 with its pin. A shoulder 512 on the member 55u engages a pin 51-4 projecting downwardly from an arm 51B carried by the shaft 5l? which -supports the conventional stop motion detector Vhand end of slot 555 with the pin passing therethrough. As will be .evident this arrangement is 'such that a slider moving too high in the rundown direction will engage the shoulder 55d and by moving member 55d to the left will trip the stop motion. On the otherhand, during areverse stroke during recipr-ocatory knitting a slider will engage the cam edge 555 and merely rock the member 55D counterclockwise against the action of lspring 568 withoutc-ausing any trippingaction.

During lgore knitting, however, certain ofthe .sliders nwill .beraised-.out of action to .the .so -called heel level and if special provision were not made these sliders would trip the stop motion. Accordingly, the gore sliders are .provided with a slot l l as indicated in Figure 3, which, when they are riding at heel level, will be lined up with the detector 552. The slots may accordingly pass the detector without tripping action.

However, since only the sliders in the gore sections have such a slot, if anything should happen so that more sliders are raised to heel height (for example, .a jam or break of the main chain) the 'machine would be immediately stopped.

Also illustrated in Figure 2 are the wrap finger abutment 588 at the rst wrap position and the lwrap iinger abutment 588 at the second wrap position. There .are also shown in Figure 2 the latchfopener Aand the needle leveler blade 6I4. These elements are mounted and operate as described in the parent application referred to.

Figure 3 indicates the relationship of the stop motion to the lower cylinder forward stitch cam 65B and the clearing bolt cam 6112-.

The general operation of the machine is described in detail in the parent application referred to above. The operation oi the stop motion has been described above. kIt will be apparent that the stop motion is eiective to avoid smashes due to improper positioning Vof thelower sliders during operation.

What is claimed is;

1. A knitting machine comprising superposed needle cylinders, needles carried by said cylinders, sliders controlling movements of said needles, and a stop motion including a detector constructed and arranged to be engaged by sliders moving in one direction through an incorrect path to trip the stop motion, but to yieldto the passage of sliders moving in the opposite direction without tripping the stop motion though the sliders are at a level corresponding to the level of the incorrect path in the rst mentioned direction.

2. A knitting machine comprising superposed needle cylinders, needles carried by said cylinders, sliders controlling movements of said needles, and a stop motion including a detector constructed and arranged to be engaged ,by sliders moving in one direction through an incorrect path to trip the stop motion, certain of said sliders being provided with clearances so that they may pass said detector even though following la path incorrect for other sliders.

3. A knitting machine comprising superposed needle cylinders, needles carried by said cylinders, sliders Vcontrolling movements of said needles, and a stop motion including a detector constructed and arranged to be engaged by sliders moving in one direction through an incorrect path to trip the stop motion, but to yield to the passage of sliders moving in the opposite direction though the sliders are Vat a level corresponding to the level of the incorrect path in the nrst mentioned direction, certain of said sliders being provided with clearances so that they may pass said detector even though following a path incorrect for other sliders.

4. A knitting machine comprising superposed needle cylinders, needles carried by said cylinders, sliders controlling movements of the needles, said sliders comprising two sets, and a stop motion including a detector Aconstructed and arranged to .be engaged Iby sliders of-one'set-moving in a `predetermined path, whichis incorrect Ufor said set of sliders, to trip the stop motion, said stop motion being ineective upon passage of the sliders of the other set along said path.

5. A knitting machine comprising superposed needle cylinders, needles carried by said cylinders, sliders controlling movements of the needles, said sliders comprising two sets, and a stop motion including a detector constructed and arranged to be engaged by sliders of one set moving in a predetermined path, which is incorrect for said set of sliders, to trip the stop motion, said stop motion being ineffective upon passage of the sliders of the other set along said path but set along an incorrect path.

effective upon passage of the sliders of said other PAUL W. BRISTOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS 

